Wendy Powell2015-03-03T18:08:13-05:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=wendy-powellCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Wendy PowellGood old fashioned elbow grease.Diastasis Recti, Your Pelvic Floor and... Your Shoes, What's the Connection?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2014:/theblog//3.50018382014-03-27T07:59:48-04:002014-05-27T05:59:01-04:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/
A diastasis gap is measured in finger widths, so it's not an exact science as of course we all have different size fingers... but a guide is all you need. A gap of more than 2-3 finger widths means your core is in need of some TLC to strengthen and firm the midline and restore stability.

The pressure often remains off-the-scale long after your baby has been born because of a number of factors: your alignment may be out of kilter, your breathing too shallow, or not optimal or you could be moving in a way that repeatedly raises pressure. Any movement that jack-knifes the body, such as a crunch, raises intra abdominal pressure, as does any intensive or high impact exercise performed with a core that is not functioning correctly. Wearing high heeled shoes even contributes to the problem, forcing your body into a position and pattern of movement that increases pressure within your abdomen and pelvis! It is your core's 'job' to withstand intra abdominal pressure, but it can't do that when it is unstable, compromised by a gap or weakness.

If you have diastasis recti, there's a strong chance you may also have a weak pelvic floor, which is struggling to do its job of supporting your internal organs and holding in gas, urine and faeces. If you're prone to the odd embarrassing slip-up when you cough, sneeze, or run, that's a red flag that your pelvic floor needs to be conditioned to improve its function.

Pelvic floor weakness is just as likely to indicate a too tight, or 'hypertonic' pelvic floor, as a too 'slack' one - so don't keep clenching, squeezing, sucking in your tummy or tucking your backside underneath you - these movements and habits will actually make your pelvic floor weaker, not stronger!

Until your core is fully functioning and stable again, the following type exercises will make your mummy tummy worse, not better:

Sit ups, crunches, oblique twists or V-sits of any sort

Planks or prone (facing down, holding your bodyweight) push-ups

Burpees, skipping, or any move that requires jumping or impact

Running

Heavy lifting or pull-ups

Neither your abs, nor your pelvic floor will be fixed by going crazy with hardcore exercises that repeatedly contract muscles in isolation. Crunches and Kegels are not appropriate and could be exacerbating the problem, so steer clear!

To restore your body properly, you need to build awareness, strength and suppleness (which includes the ability to relax) of all the core muscles, getting them to work together as an effective team. Until you do this, your healing is in a holding pattern - and flat abs are out of reach!

The approach that works involves starting with a clean slate.

Going back to the basics of how to stand, sit, walk and move in natural alignment (not the alignment we have taught our bodies by encasing them in squishy furniture and planting them in cars and high heels).

It means learning how to breathe properly. Moving around in the way that our bodies are designed to - sitting less, walking in correct alignment, stretching, twisting, lunging and squatting. Allowing our muscles to lengthen, contract and relax.

Your body also needs great nutrition and adequate hydration to heal, so make sure you're not lacking in essential fats, green vegetables or high quality protein to aid repair.

Conditioning our core doesn't mean we need to do 'hardcore' ab exercises. And for post-natal women, whose cores are compromised, it really should never be about starting there. Instead we need to learn how to re-connect with our core muscles - You can't strengthen a muscle your brain isn't talking to. Understand your body's signals so you know when you're ready to plank, run or get hardcore again after having children!

Sitting less, getting out of high heels and realigning the way we move, as well as finding our core muscles, learning to gently contract and relax them, breathing with our exercises, exhaling as we exert ourselves and inhaling as we relax... These are the first steps to restoring a weakened core and healing a diastasis.

Big results can be felt, and seen, by tuning into our bodies more effectively and being mindful as we exercise and move about in our everyday lives.

For more information on how to recognise, and deal with, all the issues mentioned in this article, visit the MuTu System website. You can start to get your body back into shape and in good working order however long ago you had your babies!]]>Post-Natal Body Confidence - Is Yours Still Missing?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.41475622013-11-14T09:38:27-05:002014-01-23T18:58:21-05:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/
It's good to want our bodies back, but it's also important to realise that our physical appearance is only part of that package. We need to aspire to a return to full health, rather allow ourselves to believe that the only important thing is squeezing back into our skinny jeans (if we were ever in them in the first place).

Every woman's post-natal recovery is different, with varying priorities, and a wide range of time frames in which everything is 'sorted'. The six-week post-natal check-up as you postpartum 'checkout' is wildly inadequate as, for some, the repercussions of pregnancy can take a while to surface. Pregnancy took 9 months, and it is perfectly reasonable that our bodies can take at least that long, if not a year or more, to fully recover.

For example pelvic floor issues may not manifest until a couple of years of carrying an increasingly heavy child, or many months after returning (possibly prematurely) to running or bootcamp to shed the pounds.
Common Health Problems in Post-Natal Women

It is estimated that 2 out of 3 women who have had two or more children have diastasis recti

Otherwise known as abdominal separation, 'diastasis recti' is a symptom of excessive intra abdominal pressure. [See Diastasis Recti Infographic here]. The pressure is due to less than perfect alignment and rockets during pregnancy, sometimes failing to return to normal afterwards. The resultant gap that opens up at the front of your abs to make room for your baby doesn't always close naturally.

The gap isn't necessarily a problem. It's quite possible to have small diastasis recti gap and a stable, strong core. But when you test for it, if it is 3 fingers' width or more, core instability is likely and a whole host of associated problems may arise, such as backache, a mummy tummy 'pooch' you just can't get rid of, and problems with the way your body works 'down below'...

66% of women who have diastasis recti have pelvic floor dysfunction*.

If you have significant DR, you might also experience pelvic floor dysfunction. At some point, maybe long after pregnancy, that might entail pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence, even hernia or pelvic organ prolapse.

If you needed a reason to put your pelvic health at the top of your post-natal 'To Do List', then these conditions should give you a nudge!

So, here's what to do when the realisation hits you that baby bulge may be the least of your worries...

6 Steps to Post-Natal Body Confidence

1. Focus: Find, and re-connect with, your core and pelvic floor.
2. Activate: Gently and deeply work the entire core and pelvic floor with regular, targeted workouts, and with every movement you make.
3. Strengthen: Work the transverse abdominis muscle, pelvic floor and entire core with tailored exercises, which help draw together the rectus abdominis muscle and close 'the gap' (diastasis recti).
4. Align: Improve your alignment to reduce the pressure inside your abdomen and pelvis. A great first step is to ditch heeled shoes as much as possible and wear flat or 'barefoot' shoes.
5. Nourish: Eat the right foods to aid healing of your post-natal body: lots of vitamin-loaded fresh fruit and vegetables and rich sources of 'good fats' and protein, such as nuts, seeds and oily fish. Drink lots of water to aid circulation and don't consume too much sugar, caffeine or processed foods, which stress out your body and hinder its natural function.
6. Pump it up: When the foundations of core stability are established, add high intensity, but low impact, workouts to the mix, to help you to whittle your waist and shape your body to where you want it to be.

The frustration felt by many Mums when their body doesn't 'go back' to where you want it to be, when your tummy, pelvic floor, or midsection generally just doesn't look or feel the way you'd like it to... is likely to be simply down to missing out a couple of steps.

Back up, get stable, functioning and strong first, and the sky's the limit for your future fitness and body confidence!

Steps 1-6 are all covered by MuTu System programs, which teach you how to reconnect with your core and pelvic floor muscles and to strengthen them in a controlled and effective way. When your alignment is adjusted and your core more stable, then we progress the workouts. And if fat is not an issue for you, you may very well still need to heal your core and pelvic floor. The MuTu Focus program teaches techniques that restore your pelvic health and give you a maintenance program to prevent further issues arising later in life.

*There is little research on this condition; Boissonnault & Blaschak (1988) found that 27% of women have a DRA in the second trimester and 66% in the third trimester of pregnancy. 53% of these women continued to have a DRA immediately postpartum and 36% remained abnormally wide at 5-7 weeks postpartum. Coldron et al (2008) measured the inter-recti distance from 1 day to 1 year postpartum and note that the distance decreased markedly from day 1 to 8 weeks, and that without any intervention (e.g. exercise training or other physiotherapy) there was no further closure at the end of the first year. In the urogynecological population, 52% of patients were found to have a DRA (Spitznagle et al 2007). 66% of these women had at least one support-related pelvic floor dysfunction (stress urinary incontinence (SUI), fecal incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse).]]>Pelvic Floor Weakness - Signs You Shouldn't Ignoretag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.41006372013-10-15T10:32:36-04:002014-01-23T18:58:21-05:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/

Recognise any of these little gems? Ignore these cues at your peril, as they are signs that your body has a weakness or mis-alignment that needs to be addressed.

Backache and urine leakage, for example, suggest a weak core. Without strengthening your mid-section and pelvic floor, pelvic organ prolapse is a real risk. Your core includes your pelvic floor, and the entire system needs to function optimally for a strong midsection, a flatter tummy and a pelvic floor that does its job.

The good news is that these problems aren't something we have to just put up with, and they can be reversed, through careful lifestyle adjustments. Committing to good nutrition and the right exercise will make huge improvements.

Re-connect with, and strengthen your core

We hear all the time about the need to strengthen our core. But you need to re-connect physiologically with these muscles to get them to work - so don't jump straight to planks or hard workouts! A tailored core programme that starts by re-connecting and restoring muscle function is essential to build the foundations of a stronger core.

Leaking when you cough, sneeze, or exercise is a sign that your pelvic floor and core are weak. You may also experience pelvic 'heaviness' as you exercise. Both symptoms are red flags that shouldn't be ignored. If you don't take heed, the problems are likely to get worse and you may be at risk of pelvic organ prolapse.

To improve pelvic floor function, the muscles need to be able to both contract and relax more effectively. A tight, shortened muscle is just as weak as a slack, ineffective one. First off, you need to focus and 'connect' with all three areas of your pelvic floor: the front (where you squeeze to stop yourself urinating), the back (where you stop yourself from passing gas), and the middle (the bit that your baby came out of!).

Try to think of pelvic floor exercises, less as a lateral squeeze, and more in terms of a 'lift' deep up inside, both in the middle and at the back. Don't hold your breath, take care not to clench your buttocks, inner thighs or indeed to tense or hunch your shudders - this is all going on inside!

The way you carry yourself and align your body for standing, walking and twisting, also affects whether you use the pelvic floor muscles, or bear down on them. If you hold your body correctly as you move around, your pelvic floor muscles will be able to naturally do their job.

2 common habits detrimental to pelvic floor health and function, and what to do instead:

Instead, engaging your core is a gentle, slight movement of the deep Transverse Abdominis muscle. Try as you exhale to gently draw your lower abdomen inwards (you are likely to also feel a contraction in the pelvic floor - this is fine - they're connected). Then relax and inhale, before you exhale and engage the muscles again. Your shoulders shouldn't rise, your backside shouldn't tuck and your ribs should stay down. Try to feel and see the movement only in your lower abdomen. Try this side-on to a full length mirror to check everything else stays relaxed.

Eat for healthy muscles

Start caring for the woman inside the mother, and really nourish your body so it can heal and get strong. You need abundant green vegetables, essential fats, good protein and plenty of hydration, whilst strictly limiting sugar and processed foods.

Don't wait for the small stuff to become a BIG problem, start finding your pelvic Mojo again now!

*Note: If you are persistently suffering pain or discomfort from any of the conditions mentioned please also see your doctor and request a referral to a Women's Health Physiotherapist (more information on the MuTu System website)]]>Lack of Libido in Women and How to Revive Your Drive!tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.29474102013-03-26T19:00:00-04:002013-05-26T05:12:02-04:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/
But where has our libido gone? Why has it deserted us? And will it ever come back?

On the physical side, lack of libido in women can be linked to anemia, diabetes, hyperprolactinaemia (over activity of pituitary gland), hormonal abnormalities, or a side-effect of prescribed drugs.

For new mums, loss of libido often referred to as post-baby 'coolness', a misleading term that suggests that the woman is being willfully non-responsive. In fact, she's responding to a heady and sexually debilitating cocktail of:

1. Crazy hormonal spikes that occur after giving birth and during breastfeeding
2. Off-putting recent memories of childbirth (especially if that was traumatic)
3. De-sexualisation of her body (Disenchantment with 'down there' after what it's been through; and the feeling that, when breastfeeding, your boobs BELONG to the baby - not you, and certainly not your other half).
4. Complete and utter exhaustion.

The reason for loss of desire is both physical and psychological. Not just in mums, but in women in general, sexual dysfunction is commonly brought on by a psychological issue, like depression, stress or anxiety. We all know the importance of our minds in 'getting there' and so it's understandable that when we're having a bad time emotionally, we go off the boil sexually.

So how do we get libido back?

Probably the first step is honesty with your partner. If you're 'not feeling it' it's by far the best course of action to be as open as you can - both with yourself and with your partner - about where you think the problem lies. Sometimes, just getting it off your chest can be all that's necessary to build intimacy again.

If you feel like there's a physical issue at the root of your lack of sexual mojo, then it's important to seek help. Go to your GP in the first instance, get a referral to see a Women's Health Physiotherapist or Pelvic Specialist, or a see woman doctor at a family planning clinic who can discuss the problem with you and carry out any necessary tests.

If you feel an overwhelming psychological problem is affecting you then please visit with your GP and get help, and a referral where necessary.

If ongoing sexual problems are starting to affect your relationship, consult a specialist such as Relate. They are very experienced in these problems and will help you work positively towards a resolution.

Can't I just pop a pill?

Hormones are sometimes suggested as a treatment for FSAD ('female arousal disorder'), particularly the male sex hormone testosterone. There is some clinical evidence to support this. However, side-effects can include hairiness, spots, a deep voice and enlargement of the clitoris. Er, no thanks!

It's far more important to seek the support and understanding of a partner who understands how you're feeling, what you're dealing with... and how to get you excited in bed.

If you talk about things and create an atmosphere in which it's ok to try things out in a relaxed way, then you're well on the path to reclaiming the fun of sex. Try toys, lubes and playful games - and laugh about it if things don't quite go to plan.

Feel good about YOU

Low body confidence is a turn-off (for you and your partner). If your wobbly bits make you cringe, if you don't like seeing yourself naked, then try to take small steps towards learning to love yourself a little more.

Many women worry about how their post baby body looks up close or from certain angles, and lose some of their sexual self confidence because of how they think they look. You know what? The person looking at you from there... is getting laid. They're happy and grateful. So chill out and enjoy yourself!

Exercise and good nutrition can work wonders for your body and mind, so make adjustments to the way you're living and it will almost certainly have a positive effect on your libido!

For more on how to repair your post-baby body and your body confidence - inside and out - visit mutusystem.com]]>Six Myths About Nutritional Food - Exploded!tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24871792013-01-20T19:00:00-05:002013-03-22T05:12:01-04:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/
1. 'Fat makes you fat'
Fat gets a bad press. And, where greasy chips and sticky cakes are concerned, that's probably justified. But it's important to remember that not all fats are made equal. Some fats - like those found in nuts, seeds, avocados, eggs, oily fish like salmon and mackerel, coconut oil and olive oil - are not only incredibly good for you, but an essential part of our diets. They will make you look younger and help keep you lean and healthy, as well as help you regulate a host of vital processes in your body. So don't shy away from fat, just be choosy which ones you eat.

2. 'Organic is always healthiest'
The jury is out as to whether the 'organic' label on an increasingly wide range of foods and groceries is really a marker for better nutritional value. There are some non-organic foods that deliver a quite scary amount of nasties into your body, but actually others are less of a concern.

Where meat, dairy and fresh produce (fruit and vegetables) are concerned, my personal preference is for organic, because it ensures that pesticide, hormone and other residues are minimal. In the case of animal products, it also gives a level of assurance regarding the ethical and welfare credentials of the producer.

But organic isn't the only label to look for - in fact most great foods don't have a label...

Seasonal, locally grown foods are likely to have minimal amounts of chemicals added and fewer food miles, and so if the choice is between a package of green beans 'organically grown' but then harvested too early, shipped thousands of miles, chilled, stored or displayed for days or even weeks before they reach your plate, then I'd recommend the local greens, albeit without the organic certification.

There are some fruits and vegetables that typically absorb large amounts of pesticides during their production, with apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and peaches among the worst offenders. These items, along with many salad vegetables and soft fruits, are the ones you want to choose organic if at all possible.

However, produce with very thick skin, or skin that is removed before eating, such as onions, grapefruit, pineapples or avocados are less likely to contain nasties by the time you eat them. Cabbage, eggplant, mangoes and asparagus are also considered pretty 'clean'*.

It's worth opting for organic when your budget and your shopping choices allow, but when they don't, go for the lower risk produce and choose local and seasonal, and 'free range' or 'grass fed' meat, dairy and eggs.

3.'Drink eight glasses of water a day'
Yes, hydration is your friend! But there is no real evidence to support the hypothesis that eight glasses of water a day is the optimum level. Hydration isn't all about pure H2O either, other liquids like coconut water, fruit juices, herbal teas, - even normal tea and coffee in moderation - help to give your body the water it needs.

Hydrating foods - like green salads, red peppers, cucumbers, celery, grapefruits and apples - also contribute. The exact amount of water you need to hydrate your body varies all the time and it depends on lots of factors like your size, how active you are, and the heat and humidity in the environment.

4. 'Egg yolks are bad for you'
Egg yolks got panned in the past by studies that strongly linked dietary cholesterol to blood cholesterol. Recent research shows that the connection is misleading. Banning egg yolks from your diet means you miss out on a highly nutritional, natural food and a great source of protein and essential fats.

One yolk contains half of the daily requirement of chorine, which is an essential nutrient for the brain. Eating eggs for breakfast is also a great way to fill up with protein and 'good' fats - keeping you from overeating during the day.

5. 'Fried food is always unhealthy'
If you use 'healthy' oil, like coconut oil, and heat at the right temperature, then frying food at home is perfectly healthy, especially if you're making a stir fry packed with delicious nutrient-loaded vegetables and maybe some lean meat or fish. Coconut oil is especially good - it retains its full nutritional value when fried at high temperatures (unlike olive oil - save your good olive oil for drizzling!). The optimum frying temperature is 375 degrees - higher or lower makes food absorb too much oil.

6. 'The sugar in fruit and sugar in cakes is the same'
Technically sugar reacts in the same way inside our bodies, whether it originated in a chocolate brownie, or a kiwi fruit. It's broken down into glucose for energy and the excess stored as fat.

But, that's where the similarity ends: sugar from fruit gets absorbed slowly, while simple sugars increase blood sugar to levels that cause arteries to age. The other major difference is that fruit sugar has good-for-you packaging, full of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that do lots of good things for our bodies. These benefits are too-good-to-miss, despite the sugar that comes as part of the (all-natural) package.

*The Environmental Working Group (EWG) shoppers guide to pesticides in produce]]>Fat Loss for Mums: Five Enemies of Your Waistline and How to Crush Them!tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22172832012-12-04T19:00:00-05:002013-02-03T05:12:01-05:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/
You could be all but starving yourself, as well as spending hours doing cardio workouts, and still that persistent layer of flab around your tummy refuses to budge. What's that all about? Well, basically, it's about ignoring how your body works.

Armed with a bit of biology and some nutritional guidance, you can turn this sorry state of affairs into successful fat-busting - and you can trim down your waistline effectively and permanently. This is what you need to know about the fat-loss hurdles you're facing and how to overcome them...

1. Empty calories: 'Calories in, calories out' is the basic principle of most weight loss programmes, but it's a bit too simple. All calories are not created equal, especially when it comes to creating a stubborn layer of fat that clings to your waistline and belly! By far the worst culprit for this is sugar (see number 2)!

Problem solved: Stop watching calories and start eating good, clean food. On your plate, the biggest portion should be veggies, then protein, then carbs. Your consumption of carbs should be in the form of whole-grains, fruits and vegetables. If there is no alternative sometimes but to use white pasta or rice, make it the smallest portion on your plate and combine with a good level of protein and vegetables to help balance your blood sugar level.

Instead of going fat-free, increase your intake of essential fats. Oily fish -- salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna - are great sources of Omega 3. It's hard to eat enough of them sometimes, so take a quality fish oil supplement too. Grind up seeds containing healthy oils like flax, hemp and pumpkin and add them to your breakfast. High quality cold-pressed olive oil over salads (don't heat olive oil - it ruins it), and coconut oil for cooking are also 'good fats' you want to eat more of, not less!

The fats you want to avoid at all costs are trans-fats or hydrogenated fats, found in most processed food, fast foods and commercially baked goods. Stay away, and if you see those words on the label, don't eat the food!

2. Sugar and insulin: When you eat sugar (refined white carbohydrates like bread, pasta and processed foods, as well as more obvious sweet indulgences), the level of insulin in your body increases. The hormone insulin regulates our blood sugar levels and inhibits the breakdown of fat, makings us good at storing it, rather than burning it.

Problem solved: Cut-out as much sugar (including the hidden stuff) as possible. Watch food labels: dextrose, fructose, glucose - in fact anything ending 'ose' - is sugar. The only sugar-with-benefits is the type you find in fresh fruit, which has so many good things going for it that it would be foolish to avoid it.

Stay away from 'diet' foods and drinks too. Diet drinks obviously contain artificial sweeteners in place of sugar or fructose, but very often those additives can have a similar effect on your insulin levels, producing the same fat storing effects as real sugar. Sweeteners (artificial or otherwise) stimulate appetite and place strain on your kidneys and liver that have to process them. The psychological effect of consuming large amounts of diet drinks often seems to be that we 'make up' the calories elsewhere! Your food doesn't need to be 'diet', 'lo' or 'fat-free' - it just has to be real!

3. Stress and cortisol: Being strung-out, stressed and tired (AKA being a mum!) kick-starts production of the hormone cortisol, which decreases muscle mass and encourages belly fat storage. Emotional stress can also have us skipping meals or reaching out for crutches like coffee, alcohol and sugary and processed foods. This causes physical stress on our bodies. And guess what? That also triggers cortisol production.

Problem solved: This is often the hardest nut to crack for sleep-deprived, time-pressed mums. But the way forward is to take time out just for yourself every day -- to read, have a bath, do yoga, have a run, paint your nails, whatever! With a bit of me-time, it's easier to relax, unwind and sleep well... Don't forget exercise is a great stress-buster and helps you to enjoy a better sleep!

4. Ineffective exercise: You know those long, punishing cardio sessions at the gym and the endless pootling on the treadmill that you hate? Well, guess what? It's pretty pointless in fat-loss terms - and it will do nothing to shift your spare tyre.

Problem solved: High intensity metabolic resistance training is the most effective way to burn fat. 'Resistance training' means using weights, whether that's kettle-bells or your own body weight. Squats, press-ups and pull-ups are part of the artillery that will help you increase lean muscle mass (read 'tone and shape', not 'bulk') and decrease fat storage around your waistline.

5. Lazy living: Drive to the gym? Use a treadmill when you get there? In what world does that make sense? Cars, escalators, lifts... they all prevent your legs from doing what they were meant to do: walking! They are making many of us lazy and inactive for much of the time, despite a few orchestrated bits of exercise each week.

Problem solved: Lead an active life every day: walk when you can, with good posture and full breathing; use stairs; carry things; lift things; stretch. Keep your body moving at all times, rather than for just the odd hour at the gym.

Mums are busy, often tired and stressed. Do what you can and don't feel you should follow strict, restrictive, unrealistic or expensive diets or regimes. Your food rules do not have to be complicated: 'Keep It Real' - that's all you need!

Unprocessed, unrefined, natural, real fresh foods will not stress your body or confuse your hormones. Eat more good fats and less sugar. Eat more fresh vegetables and cut out processed, packaged or take- away foods. Move more, sleep more and take some time out. Remember that being active and eating real food will do more for your hormone balance and fat storage levels than any restrictive diet... AND they are changes you can sustain!]]>Your Post Baby Body: How Should You Feel and What Can You Do?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.20872072012-11-07T07:14:17-05:002013-01-07T05:12:01-05:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/parts of your post baby body that may not look or feel quite the way they used to, whether you're a couple of weeks, a few months or some years 'post-baby'.

When should it all settle down? Will some bits never go back? Is your stomach supposed to look like that? Is going to the toilet always going to feel like that? Are certain parts of your anatomy always going to poke out, bulge or feel strange? When is it just part of being a mother, and when is something actually wrong?

If it's very early days then rest assured your body will heal to a large degree by itself. Birth, however it turned out for you, is a traumatic physiological process that first and foremost requires time, rest and TLC to heal.

But many women are suffering when they really shouldn't have to, with issues that could be rectified if they were just given the right information about which techniques or strategies will help or hinder recovery and restoration.

The Early Days | Up to 8/12 Weeks

Here are some of the perfectly normal (if not altogether pleasant) symptoms and feelings you may experience in the weeks after you have your baby:

1. When you go to the bathroom, you may feel like your insides are going to actually fall out of your body. They won't fall out. But they may feel like they're going to.
2. Your ability to control your urine, stools and gas is less than ideal, and you may have very little sensation of your pelvic floor. Basically your brain and your undercarriage are struggling to communicate, and they haven't made friends again yet.
3. You will be shifting about as you sit or stand, not quite sure where to put your body for comfort and ease.
4. Parts of your body will feel sore and tender. Anywhere in your pubic area, in your pelvic floor (post natural birth), around your scar site if you had a c-section, or anywhere in your hips, back or neck.

How You Can Help Your Body To Heal

1. Stretch and release the muscles that are tense. These key areas need improved circulation and muscle release:
Stretch your calves and hamstrings (the backs of your thighs).
Squat, keeping shins vertical and heels down. Steady yourself by holding onto something solid.
Stand and clasp your hands behind your back (don't hunch your shoulders) and lift your hands towards the ceiling, then very gently raise your nose to the ceiling to release the front of your neck.
Lie on your back with your legs in the air and shuffle your bottom right into the wall, then let your legs drop to the side to stretch your inner thighs.
2. Reconnect with your pelvic floor and deep core muscles. This is how:
Gently draw your belly button towards your spine on a long slow exhale whilst lifting your pelvic floor. Try to think of it not as a squeeze at the front, but a deep lift, right in the middle. Keep shoulders and chest relaxed. Take a few deep breaths like this whenever you remember, relaxing everything as you inhale and fill your ribcage with air, then contracting again as you exhale. Note: don't push away on the inhale, just let go. And try not to tilt your pelvis or 'tuck your tailbone' as you practice this breathing technique.
3. Get comfy. Use cushions, bolsters and pillows to support yourself and allow your back and shoulder muscles to relax as you feed and cuddle your baby.
4. Rest. Take a walk every day if you can. But take it easy. Then go rest some more.

Your Body 12 Weeks (or 12 Months!) Post Baby

You can now gradually start to increase the intensity and duration of activity, but nothing should hurt.

You should have stopped bleeding, you should have stopped hurting. If either are still going on, then please see your doctor again. You should be able to pretty much control your bladder and bowel. Some weakness and urgency is normal, but you should be able to hang on a bit.

Symptoms You Should NOT Be Feeling

You shouldn't be feeling these symptoms. You may be feeling them, and don't panic of you are, because they are sadly very common and many women just live with them.

1. Pain - In your back, pelvis, abdomen, hips or legs.
2. Leaking urine or worse when you sneeze, laugh or cough; or leaking as you're rushing to the toilet.
4. Bulging - Bulging or doming of your abdomen when you do any exercise or movement. Or bulging in or from your vagina or rectum.

What To Do If You Have Any Of These Symptoms:

Go get checked out by your doctor and don't accept a 'just put up with it' response. The above may be signs of diastasis recti, a weak core and pelvic floor, even hernia or prolapse, and you don't have to put up with them! The pressure inside your abdomen is pushing the wrong way (ie outwards and downwards), but with the right guidance you can reverse it.

The most important thing you can do to help your body to restore and strengthen is to find and understand your core muscles using the breathing technique above and through specific core engagement exercises. Remember your brain and your muscles stopped talking to each other there, and they need to be re-introduced...

Do not do sit-ups or crunches, don't do high impact exercise and don't leap into a class or routine that does not give you very specific corrective exercise for a recovering mother.

The MuTu System Focus programme for your post baby body is very specifically designed to put you back together again. It takes you step by step through 4 phases of core restoration and pelvic re-alignment techniques, which will make you look and feel like you've not only got your body back, but a little bit of missing Mojo too!

If you are worried about what you're feeling, or unsure about any exercise you're doing, please leave a comment below and I'll try to help!

Also on HuffPost UK Lifestyle:]]>The Hole In Your Post-Baby Tummy. How To Test For and Fix Diastasis Rectitag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.19731082012-10-17T10:00:56-04:002012-12-17T05:12:02-05:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/Diastasis Recti describes the separation of the Rectus Abdominis muscle (your 6-pack!) from the mid-line connective tissue that runs down the centre of your abdomen. It is estimated that a third of first time mothers and around 70% of mothers with 2 or more babies will have some degree of diastasis, causing instability of the core and a protruding tummy.

'Why does it happen?'
Diastasis Recti is a symptom of excessive intra-abdominal pressure - that means pressure inside your abdomen and pelvis pushing outwards, forwards and downwards. Not the direction you want anything pushing unless you're actually giving birth at the time...
This pressure can be the cause of a 'mummy tummy' that sticks out, pelvic floor weakness, stress incontinence or back pain. When your body really can't contain the pressure, hernia or prolapse can be the result.
Your core isn't aligned and working correctly and that means your post-baby stomach can't lie fat.

'How do I know if I have a diastasis?'
You may see a doming of your lower abdomen, or a ridge-shaped protrusion from breastbone to belly button when you roll up from your back or attempt a crunch movement.

'Will it close?'
Don't panic if your hand appears to sink into your stomach at first! The separation will narrow by itself in the days and weeks following childbirth, but a gap often remains. You can re-build stability and strength in your core, even with a small gap remaining. Restoring the strength of the mid-line is more important, and correcting your alignment and training your core muscles will do that. Not all gaps will 'close' completely with exercise, and that's okay.
But you can make a huge improvement to the look and function of your stomach.

'Can I prevent a diastasis?'
Diastasis recti, whilst not desirable, is very common. It usually occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy when your body literally needs to make room for your growing baby - and because your core isn't quite containing everything, its got nowhere else to go.
You won't feel it happen and it won't hurt, but you may notice that you don't feel you can 'hold everything in' at the front.

Avoid any crunch or sit-up exercises throughout pregnancy and afterwards, even a long time afterwards. These movements will serve only to widen the gap!

'How do I correct a diastasis?'
You can start gently correcting your alignment and intra-abdominal pressure at any stage postpartum and even whilst you're pregnant. Try these simple adjustments that will start to put your midsection back in the right place:
• Standing posture: Stand with your weight through your heels, not the balls of your feet, and don't tuck your tailbone underneath you. Butts are supposed to stick out. 'Tucking your tailbone' puts your whole pelvis on a tilt which does your core and pelvic floor no favours at all.
• Find your deep core muscles: Your most important core muscle is called the Transverse Abdominis & it wraps around your midsection like a girdle. You can do this exercise lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, or sitting on an exercise ball or just standing. Exhale through pursed lips as you draw your belly button back towards your spine but without tucking your backside under as you do it. There should be a subtle movement of the lower abdomen - no chest thrusting, shoulder tensing or tail-tucking.
• Re-connect your core and your pelvic floor. These muscles are all part of the same system; so as you exhale and draw in your Transverse muscle, lift your pelvic floor. Not a little squeeze at the front (baby doesn't come out of that one...), but a LIFT high up inside in the middle. Relax fully, but don't push away, as you inhale.

These techniques, practised daily and consistently and applied to everyday movement, will start to help shift the pressure inside your abdomen and pelvis right away. You need an exercise programme that understands the underlying causes of the problem and works very specifically to correct them.

And as your core starts to work right, then your deep core muscles will draw your stomach flatter, bringing the two sides of the split muscles towards each other and strengthening the connective mid-line.

'Do I need to 'splint' or bind my stomach to correct a diastasis?'
Holding your stomach in by binding it tightly has been traditional in many parts of the world for generations. If your gap is very wide, if you have lost sensitivity though abdominal surgery or a severely weakened core, then some form of splint may help you to 'reconnect' as you re-train your muscles, and to support you. But the act of wrapping your middle will not fix your middle per se.

Unless you are also learning how to restore your core muscles to optimum functionality, then all you'll be doing is shifting mass and pressure to above and below the wrap. It's the same as sucking in your stomach - this not 'engaging your core', it's just shifting everything upwards for a moment.

Remember that the gap is a symptom of a mal-aligned core that is not working right. The horse has already bolted, so to speak. You have to address the root cause if you want a result that will last.

Now of course, if you have a few extra pounds fat sitting on top of those muscles, you're not going to see the difference even though you will be able to feel it! But that's a different article ;)

Watch the video trailer and find out more about the MuTu Focus program here]]>Three Reasons Your Workout Isn't Flattening Your Post-Baby Tummy (and What Will!)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.19546052012-10-14T19:00:00-04:002012-12-14T05:12:01-05:00Wendy Powellhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-powell/
In more than a decade as a pre/postnatal exercise specialist, I have worked with thousands of women to restore their stomach and pelvic floor, find their lost waistline, and a little bit of lost mojo.

To heal and flatten a tummy that has carried and birthed a baby - however long ago - requires you to build the foundations before any 'shred', 'blast', crunch or plank is going to touch that pooch tummy. It requires understanding and focus first, before strengthening and toning will
have any impact.

A number of factors could be preventing you from achieving flat abs - here's a few likely culprits - and what you should do instead!

1. Crunches or sit-ups will make your stomach bulge and your core weaker.

What works instead? Using your deep core muscles effectively in whole body, weight bearing movements like squats and lifts, means your core does its job correctly, stabilising and bracing your body and in turn building stronger abs. Hardcore ab moves that promise to 'shred' and 'rip' and 'blast'... will flatten a strong, stable optimally functioning core. But if you don't have that to start with, (which most mums don't) they won't help. You need to build the core first.

2. Endless repetitions of ab exercises won't melt away belly fat

Why? Because muscle and fat are two separate types of tissue - one doesn't turn into the other and you can't spot reduce fat by focusing on one area. You may be building strong abdominal muscles - but you won't see them because there is fat on top!

What works instead? Your food choices determine fat loss, not the ab exercise you do. Balancing hormones, reducing stress and exercising smarter will reduce belly fat storage. Eliminate sugar and refined grains as much as possible from your diet. Vegetables should make up the biggest portion on your plate, followed by protein, with the smallest amount being starches. Increase your intake of essential fats, reduce stress and get more sleep. Exercise at high intensity and include resistance exercises like squats, push-ups or pull-ups.
These lifestyle factors will have an infinitely bigger effect on the fat around your tummy than any ab exercise will!

3. Going thorough the motions at Pilates class or sucking in your stomach does not constitute 'working your core'

What Works Instead?You need to connect with, and train your muscles, before you can strengthen them. Very often after childbirth (and long afterwards) there is a 'disconnect' for women, as the brain sends signals to the deep muscles of the abdomen and pelvis. By focusing on re-connecting through breathing techniques, adjusting your pelvic alignment to relieve pressure, strengthening glutes and working your core as an entire system of muscles to stabilise you, you can re-establish a functioning core.

When you have found and trained your core, then you can strengthen your core!

I created the MuTu® System programs to help women achieve the post-baby stomach and body they're after. It's the step-by-step, need-to-know, approved by pelvic health physiotherapists and created by a specialist and mum who's done it.]]>